Take a Culinary Tour of Nottinghamshire
Sup at the Trip and Buy Cheese and Flour in Nottingham County
Nov 15, 2009
The county of Nottinghamshire is more famous for its lace making than its culinary achievements. However, there are many places to go that the gourmet will find interesting. From England’s oldest pub, historic working flour mills, local farm shops selling specialist cheese to Southwell, birth place of the Bramley apple, it is well worth visiting.
Visit Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem and Green’s Windmill and Science Centre
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, carved into the sandstone at the foot of Nottingham Castle, claims to be England’s oldest inn. Its quirky quaintness makes it a must to visit at least once. Selling Abbot Ale and its own special bitter called Olde Trip, as well as other real ales, it occasionally serves guest beers. Typical fast pub food such as beef and ale pie, steak or fish and chips and burgers is also available.
Green’s Windmill and Science Centre is at Sneinton which is a suburb of Nottingham City. Originally the home of George Green, the physicist and mathematician, it was built in 1807 and was saved from redevelopment in the late 1970s. It was restored and is now a fully working flour mill. It is open to visitors on Wednesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays. It has a shop where the organic flour it produces can be bought.
Visit Worksop for Cheese That is Not Stilton and Locally Produced Meat
Near to Worksop is the Welbeck Estate and its farm shop which featured in The Daily Telegraph newspaper as being one of the UK’s top 50 farm shops in 2009. The majority of its meat and game products are sourced from the Estate itself. The farm’s resident butcher also runs occasional meat demonstrations where visitors can watch and learn how to make the most of venison, beef and other meats.
It is also an outlet for the locally produced Stichelton cheese. Stichelton is an English blue cheese which is made from raw rather than pasteurised milk. Because the cheese makers who own the trademarked Stilton name have banned raw milk from being used in the manufacture of the cheese, Stichelton can never be called that. However, a rose (or cheese) by any other name would surely smell (or taste) just as sweet.
Visit Southwell – Birthplace of the Bramley Apple
No trip to Nottinghamshire would be complete without visiting Southwell, the birthplace of the quintessentially English cooking apple, the Bramley. The first seed was sown by a young Mary Ann Brailsford in the garden of her home in the town. The house was later bought by Matthew Bramley after whom the apple was named. It was first sold by a nurseryman, in the 1860s. Southwell holds an annual apple festival in the autumn.
If none of the above Nottinghamshire specialities appeal to the gourmet traveller, there are plenty of other places of gastronomical interest such as restaurants and food shops in the county that offer a range of excellent dining experiences. Whilst in the area, why not consider taking a culinary tour of the neighbouring counties of Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Leicestershire as well?
Other sources:
Culture24 website
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